KOTA TINGGI: Three people were killed and four others injured in an accident involving three vehicles at KM50.1 Senai Desaru Expressway (SDE) towards Penawar, here.

The accident was caused by the failure of the first vehicle to overtake another car.

Penawar Fire and Rescue Department operation commander Izwani Abd Hamid said that they received a distress call at 1.43pm on Saturday (Sept 2) about the accident.

"Three people in the first vehicle were killed, with one suffering serious injuries," she said in a statement here.

The deceased victims were identified as Iqbal Faiz Mat Sah, 20; Nurul Afrahrina Sazli, 19; and Nurina Izzatir Kamarul Azman, 19. Another victim, Izznur Harith, 19, suffered serious injuries.

"There were four people aged between 29 and 51 inside the second vehicle, an SUV, who suffered minor injuries, while the 50-year-old driver of the third car was unharmed.

Kota Tinggi OCPD Supt Hussin Zamora said that the police received the report on the incident at 2.15pm on Saturday (Sept 2).

"The first vehicle was driven by a 20-year-old man with three other passengers, all aged 19.

"The second vehicle was driven by a 50-year-old man, and the third vehicle was driven by a 51-year-old man with three passengers aged 29 and 50.

"The first vehicle was heading towards Senai from Desaru and tried to overtake a vehicle in front of him but was in collision course with the second vehicle.

"The second vehicle managed to evade but caused the third vehicle behind him to collide with the first vehicle," he said in a statement here.

"The victims were students from a college in Batu Pahat, and one of the passengers suffered a serious injury and is currently being treated at the red zone in Sultan Ismail Hospital,” he added.

The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road and Transport Act of 1987.